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Windstorm to hit western Washington on Christmas Eve with gusts up to 70 mph

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Windstorm to hit western Washington on Christmas Eve with gusts up to 70 mph


All is calm, all is bright for Christmas Eve-eve…not so much for Christmas Eve itself.

An unusual windstorm will slingshot up the west coast, making for a windy Wednesday in western Washington as we head into the holiday. A pre-emptive HIGH WIND WATCH has been issued by the National Weather Service to account for strong and potentially damaging easterly and then southerly winds, but I expect that to turn over to a HIGH WIND WARNING as we get closer and these gusts look imminent.

ALSO SEE: Mountain snow, gusty winds and heavy showers expected for Christmas Eve

In the short-term, things are quiet enough for now. Mainly cloudy skies will tuck us in, but because the air mass is still seasonably chilly, we’ll drop back into the 30s by dawn. The passes are very passable, but could be icy as lows plunge into the 20s overnight.

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On Wednesday, things get interesting quickly. Storms don’t usually move from California right up the coast to Washington, but there has been nothing usual about this December so far, and that’s exactly the odd track this system is going to take on its way into the region.

Remember that lows act like giant vacuums in the sky, pulling air into them as they go by. This is a roughly 980 millibar low on approach–plenty deep enough to suck in air noticeably as it passes.

This howling wind-maker will work its way up toward the Washington coast by Wednesday morning. With its center still over the Pacific, the winds will be easterly.

The ocean beach communities and the foothills of the Cascades (Enumclaw, Issaquah, North Bend, and Monroe) will be subject to these easterly blows, gusting 30 to 50 mph for the first half of the day there. Why not in Seattle? The 8,000′ tall Olympics will initially act as an offensive lineman for the waterfront locations near the Sound, blocking the bulk of the windy weather before the lunch hour.

However, this low will hightail it over Neah Bay, eventually curling in over Vancouver Island by the afternoon. Now, without the shield of the Olympics between Seattle and the storm center, we’ll be subject to strong southerly (remember the wind follows the low’s movement and track, so the direction will change) gusts of 30 to 50 mph over the Sound, including in Tacoma, Olympia, Everett, and the Emerald City.

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These strong winds may be enough to give us some tree damage and knock down power lines…not what we want to see on Christmas Eve! A grand finale burst of southerlies of 40 to 60 mph or more (some models suggest gusts to 70 mph) will close down the evening in Port Townsend, Oak Harbor, Friday Harbor, and Ferndale–those of you closer to British Columbia will be subject to the strongest winds right after sunset.

By the time people are heading out to the midnight mass, the windstorm should be a wrap, but it will be a dicey day beforehand. Not only will it deal with the wind, but also rain in the lowlands and bursts of heavy, blowing snow over the Cascade passes. Highs will bump up a bit, ending up closer to 50 in the metro area.

Christmas Day itself should be far easier for travelers and celebrations, with lighter rain at times and temperatures back in the more typical middle 40s. This will keep occasional snow falling over the mountains to about 3,000′ (Snoqualmie Summit level) as well.



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HIGHLIGHT | Lawrence Dots a Pass to Washington for a 6-Yard TD

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HIGHLIGHT | Lawrence Dots a Pass to Washington for a 6-Yard TD


DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Foyesade Oluokun, TE Brenton Strange, S Eric Murray, and S Antonio Johnson  speak with the media after practice on Thursday ahead of the Wild Card Matchup vs. Bills.

0:00 – 2:28 – DE Dawuane Smoot

2:29 – 6:24 – LB Foyesade Oluokun

6:25 – 9:25 – TE Brenton Strange

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9:26 – 11:32 – S Eric Murray

11:33 – 13:46 – S Antonio Johnson



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Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack

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Iran warns Washington it will retaliate against any attack


DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.

Israel is on high alert for the possibility of a U.S. intervention to support a nationwide protest movement in Iran, sources said.

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Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by William Mallard

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Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics

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Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics


The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.

“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.

The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”

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A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”

Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”

Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”

Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.

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The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.

“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.

Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”

“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.

The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.

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Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.

The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.

American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”

The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”

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CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.

The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”

CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.



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